


Rainbow Connection

by Acting4Hope



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-06 09:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5412002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acting4Hope/pseuds/Acting4Hope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some days, when the sun is exceptionally bright and the day is calm, if you walk by a particular house, you will see a small figure sitting atop the roof, gazing at the sky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rainbow Connection

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I wrote for @toddnet for his birthday!! It was really an excuse to write for of his Human!AU, and utilize dumb ideas I've had that I've been too stressed to write out! This work is based off of the song "Rainbow Connection" from the Muppets movie (don't judge I am actually a 4 yr old on the inside who loves the Muppets) and I highly suggest you give it a listen while you read this! 
> 
> Down the Hole will have another chapter out, hopefully, soon. I tried to write earlier today, but I've been stumped, so I'm going to try again tomorrow!!! 
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoy!!

Some days, when the sun is exceptionally bright and the day is calm, if you walk by a particular house, you will see a small figure sitting atop the roof, gazing at the sky. The figure will sit up there for hours, just watching the clouds roll by. You may think that this person is mad, sitting on top of a hot roof with the sun directly in their face, but the figure doesn’t seem to mind it one bit. Then, when the sun begins to set, the figure will leave.  

****

On a particular day, when the clouds just were beginning to part after a large rainstorm, Papyrus found that this figure was indeed on the roof again. It was his older brother, Sans, and he was on the roof of their home. Papyrus parked his car in the driveway and got out, looking up at his brother gazing toward the sky.

****

“Sans, what on Earth are you doing?!” Papyrus called out, causing Sans’ head to turn towards him.

****

“Oh, hi Papyrus!” Sans shouted back, “I’m just, uh, lookin’ at the sky.” Papyrus was surprised by the answer; he half expected Sans to reply with a pun, like he usually does. Papyrus’ eyebrows furrowed and he took a step closer to the house.

****

“Oh, okay. Can I join you?” Papyrus asked.

****

“Sure, come on up buddy!” Sans replied, patting a spot next to him on the roof. Papyrus walked into the house and up the stairs. He walked to his brother’s room, since he had a window that connected to the smaller part of the roof, and passed the bathroom. From beyond the bathroom door, Papyrus could hear low mumbling and the sound of water running.

****

His father was in there. He’d have to check up on him later, once he figured out why his brother was really on the roof.

****

Papyrus climbed out the window and hopped onto the higher part of the roof, walking carefully to Sans. Sans looked back at him and smiled, but Papyrus could tell it was forced.

****

Sans’ eyes were bloodshot, and the bags under his eyes were much darker than usual. Papyrus noticed Sans’ hands were trembling as he patted the spot next to him again. He carefully sat down next to Sans and let his legs flop over the side of the roof.

****

Then, they sat there. Sans was back to looking at the sky, while Papyrus was looking at his brother. A tired, depressed air hung over Sans as he ran a hand through his short, dark brown hair. Papyrus sighed and looked to the sky.

****

“So, brother, tell me…” Papyrus started. He noticed how his brother’s body immediately tensed when he started to talk, and Sans suddenly looked nervous. Papyrus would have to do circles around the topic before his brother would cooperate. “What is it that you’re looking at out here? And isn’t your butt wet? It just stopped raining like, thirty minutes ago.” Sans visibly relaxed at Papyrus’ alternate question, and he let out a fake laugh.

****

“Just the sky mainly,” Sans replied, “And I don’t really mind the water. It’s nice after a storm, ya know? It’s calm. Serene. Like everything’s in the right place.” Papyrus nodded along with Sans’ answer, but on the inside he grew more concerned. Sans was almost never this literal before. He usually dodged questions with puns or stupid jokes, but now he was just saying what he felt. Not that Papyrus minded the honesty, it was a nice change with his usually-secretive brother, but he’s only ever this honest when he’s in deep mental turmoil.

****

That might explain why their father was also in the bathroom, Papyrus thought. Gaster hadn’t gone into an existential crisis in a good month; that may be because Sans and Gaster haven’t actually been in the house at the same time in a month. Papyrus hated to think about the lack of familial connection between his older brother and his father, but he knew there wasn’t much he could do about it. To Sans’ and Gaster’s knowledge, Papyrus still has no clue why they don’t get along and does not notice any of the mental breakdowns they experience.

****

“Oh, a rainbow,” Papyrus was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of his brother’s voice. He looked up and indeed saw a rainbow, stretching far above them and across the early afternoon sky. Papyrus smiled at the sight of the rainbow.

****

“It’s quite pretty,” Papyrus noted. Sans mumbled a response, but Papyrus didn’t prod it further. They sat in silence once more; still slightly unpleasant to be in, but more relaxed than when Papyrus first got up there.

****

“Rainbows are weird, aren’t they?” Sans asked, catching Papyrus’ attention. He looked to his brother, who was still looking at the sky, and tilted his head in confusion.

****

“How so?” Papyrus responded. Sans leaned back and breathed deep.

****

“Well, a rainbow is really just light that gets fragmented off of the wet ground. It’s really just a broken reflection of what we see every day. And yet, everyone thinks rainbows are so lucky. How can something so commonplace be lucky? It doesn’t make sense. I’ve never really understood it, but I haven’t really cared either. It’s just...dumb to me, I guess.” Sans explained, shrugging his shoulders at the end. Somehow, Papyrus knew this topic was going to get him access to figuring out what was wrong with Sans, so he prodded the issue further.

****

“That’s true, I suppose, but then you could also say the same thing about people who wish on stars. I mean, stars are out every night, and we see the same ones most of the time. So what makes a star more lucky than, say, a blade of grass. We see both just about every day, but I guess….Well, I don’t guess. I do not know the answer, but I know that wishing on stars and looking upon rainbows makes me hope for the future.” Papyrus replied, Sans nodding in response.

****

Suddenly, Sans laughed. It was short but genuine, and he turned to Papyrus and grinned.

****

“Hey Paps, remember when we showed Frisk their first rainbow?” Sans asked, “They were so shocked by the sight of it that they nearly burst into tears the second they saw it...Heh, who knew rainbows could have that effect on people?” Papyrus smiled, remembering the situation fondly.  

****

It was Frisk’s second week on the surface, and it was raining that day. The thunder startled them, Frisk not being used to real weather since they lived underground their whole life, but after the storm stopped they were awe-stricken by the rainbow that appeared. They even made a little drawing of Papyrus, Sans, and them standing hand-in-hand under a rainbow. Papyrus still has that drawing pinned to the wall next to his bed in his room.  

****

“To be fair, Frisk had never seen a rainbow before. It was new to them, and you can’t deny that rainbows are very pretty.” Papyrus said.

****

“That’s true, but…” Sans paused, his face scrunched up in thought, “Fuck, I don’t know. I was gonna say something logical, but it just left my brain. I should really stop thinking…”

****

There it was, the first crack in the wall. Papyrus had a foothold, now he just needed to keep going.

****

“Something on your mind, brother?” Papyrus asked. Sans sighed and let his head fall back, looking directly up at the sky. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky and the rainbow was still there, as vibrant as always, but the vibes Sans was giving off made it seem as if it was a cold night without a single star in the sky.

****

“Yeah,” Sans said, at first. He paused, it almost looking like that was all he was going to respond with, but then he sighed and sat up. “It’s the rainbow, man. I just don’t get it...How can everyone just gain all this hope from one stupid beam of light? Why do I feel like I’m the only logical person around? I mean, this concept didn’t come from nowhere. Somebody thought of it, and someone believed it. And I just...fuck, I don’t know, Paps. I just don’t know anymore.”

****

Sans was hunched over now, looking at his feet hanging over the roof instead. Papyrus watched him cautiously; he’s caught Sans when he’s tried...something dumb. And he certainly did not want that happening now; not when he’s right next to him and able to stop him. But, to Papyrus’ relief and surprise, Sans sat up straight again, turning to look at Papyrus now.

****

“Hey bro, you ever been half asleep? And like...you hear voices? Like not weird voices, just...they’re calling your name?” Sans asked, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. Papyrus nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard them too...It’s like, they’re telling me something...Something I’m supposed to do...Something I’m supposed to be…” Tears started to slowly fall down Sans’ face, but Papyrus didn’t wipe them away yet. Sans seemed to be in a trance, so he didn’t want any physical contact to startle him.

****

“I feel like such a failure sometimes, ya know? Like, I just disappointed everyone. I mean, I had all these dreams and aspirations as a kid...Then the accident happened and I just...lost that hope. That curiosity at the end of the rainbow. That twinkle in the stars. It was just...gone, and I had to learn to go on without it. And I did, and I lived. I took care of you, and I thank whatever forces are out there every day for your success in life. You’ll certainly end up better than me….You have so many dreams, still. You haven’t let the world rip your hope away, like I did. You’ve kept going, while I just...stopped.”

******  
  
**

Sans was rambling, but Papyrus didn’t care. It’s been awhile since his brother had shared his true thoughts with him; the last time being when Sans had gotten exceptionally drunk at a bar and came into Papyrus’ room that night sobbing about how bad of a brother he’s been.  

****

“I-I just...I just wish I hadn’t given up...I wish I still had that hope…” Sans finished, his eyes looking at his hands now. Papyrus hesitated to answer, but eventually he placed a hand gently on Sans’ shoulder. Sans jerked his head up to look at Papyrus, who was smiling.

****

“Who says that just because you gave up before that you can’t change? You aren’t old, Sans. Your life isn’t over; you still have many _many_ years to change. And, if you desire to change, then why don’t you? The only thing keeping you back is yourself, and I get that. You’re afraid of everything to go right and then to suddenly go horribly wrong, like back then. If that happens, then so be it! I mean, that’s how I’ve kept going!” Papyrus explained, Sans holding onto every word his brother uttered.

****

“If you think I’ve just be ignorant to everything that’s happened between you and Dad, you’re wrong. I know, and I’ve known for a while. And I understand both of your reasons, which is why I choose to not interfere. If this is what destiny has decided, then it is what must happen. But, if you want to go farther in life, I suggest you patch it up with the old fellow. Maybe, if you both admit your faults, he’ll stop drinking his life away in the bathroom. And, no matter what path you choose to go down in your future,” Papyrus’ grip on Sans’ shoulder tightened, but only in a loving manner. As if to keep Sans stable and on this plane of existence. “I will _always_ have your back! That’s what brothers are for!!”

****

Sans almost didn’t know how to react, before he pulled Papyrus into a crushing hug. He rested his head on Papyrus’ shoulder and sobbed. Papyrus rubbed slow circles on Sans’ back and hummed a little tune into Sans’ ear as he let his brother cry it all out. He didn’t know whether everything he said made sense, but Papyrus was glad that it had some sort of effect on Sans.

****

After a while, Sans’ sobs turned to light sniffles, and he pulled away from Papyrus’ embrace.

****

“Thanks bro,” Sans said, wiping his nose on his sweatshirt sleeve, “You always know what to say.” Papyrus smiled sweetly and patted Sans’ shoulder.

****

“That is true, I do have a way with words,” Papyrus replied jokingly, causing Sans to snort.

****

“Yeah, you really keep me _grounded_.” Sans replied, causing Papyrus to deadpan. Sans snorted some more. “Get it bro? Cause we’re up in the air and-”  

  
  
“I get the joke,” Papyrus cut him off, feigning annoyance, “I would be angry, if I wasn’t so happy that you were back to normal.” Sans laughed and nodded.

****

“Yep, I’m back to normal. Back to my normal, _roofy_ self.” Papyrus groaned at Sans’ joke, making Sans laugh more. Sans threw an arm around Papyrus and scooted closer so the angle of his arm wouldn’t be as awkward. The pair was smiling contently as the day strode slowly on. They both turned toward the sky and looked hopefully at the rainbow, still shining in its vibrance.

****

“Someday, we’ll find it; that rainbow’s connection,” Papyrus said, “To the lovers, the dreamers,”  

  
  
“And **me** ,” Sans finished, his eyes sparkling in a distant glimmer of hope.

****

Some days, now, when moon shines bright in the sky with the stars twinkling brilliantly beside it, if you walk by that same particular house, you’ll see two figures sitting upon the roof. One figure, the larger one, is just sitting there, looking up at the stars. But the other, the smaller one, has what looks to be a telescope and a notebook with them.  

********  
  



End file.
